Filed under: Copyright | Tags: Ann Powers, Born Free, David Shields, MIA, Reality Hunger
[NOTE:This is a front loaded addendum to my original post.
This video continues to be posted and then taken down. I have reposted it several times.
It has been more than 10 years since Napster and we have seen the RIAA and others attempt to control the spread of digital content online with little success.
Because we are intelligent people we believe that people in the record industry know better than this. We also believe that they’re basically cynical pricks who’d force their own mother to be a body double in a remake of Throw Momma From the Train if they thought that they could make a few bucks doing it.
So, we’re retitling this post as follows:
XL Recordings Leverages Copyright Takedown Notice as Marketing Initiative for New MIA Record
Luckily, MIA is a visionary artist who knows what needs to be done in circumstances like this. She has posted the complete video on her site, MIAUK.com.
This whole audience-direct-to-artist relationship is looking better and better by the day.
Original post is below.]
XL Recordings is putting a heavy hand down on the release of this video. Sending out the usual takedown requests for youtube uploads and MIA herself has BOOOO’d those actions taken by her record label.
Not ironically the song is called ‘Born Free’ and this video is an intense and graphic piece of work.
On many musical, visual and lyrical levels this song embodies what David Shields calls ‘Reality Hunger‘. Borrowing without asking, mixing and remixing across multiple media and different decades.
All synthesized into this cool 9 minute video. There’s so many references to argue, discuss and explore in this video.
We need more of this.
For some excellent analysis and background check out Ann Powers’ piece, MIA Makes Her Stance Utterly Clear… in the LA Times and August Brown’s piece on MIA’s use of Suicide’s song Ghost Rider as the basis for this track.
Here’s a lyric from the song:
I don’t wanna talk about money, ’cause I got it
And I don’t wanna talk about hoochies, ’cause I been it
And I don’t wanna be that fake?, but you can do it
And imitators, yeah, speak it
An intense piece of work! Can’t wait for the record to drop!
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